High school football: Logan rebounds from loss, scores late to down Mountain View

OREM – The embarrassment caused by giving up 60 points in last week's season-opening loss is the factor that motivated Logan going into Friday night's matchup at Mountain View.

In the end, the Grizzlies allowed less than half that total, and – most importantly – got the win, a 28-24 triumph over the Bruins.

"It feels great to get the win," Logan head coach Mike Favero said after his team overcame a 10-point second half deficit. "I've never come across one that I didn't like."

On Logan's second possession, Logan quarterback Tyler Stevens strolled in easily from five yards out to put the Grizzlies on the board first. That touchdown was set up by a 40-yard reception by a wide-open Nate Anderson on the previous play.

Mountain View immediately responded on an eight-play drive that was capped off by a James Emerson 2-yard leaping touchdown. For Emerson, who ended the game with 149 yards rushing on 28 carries, it was the first of three scores.

"He's exciting," Mountain View head coach Teko Johnson said of Emerson, his junior running back. "He's nice to have and he spreads things out for the other team's defense, but we need to try to find some other weapons."

Indeed, Emerson and the Bruins' kicker, Sam Hickman, accounted for all of the home team's points. Other than Emerson's trio of scores, Hickman added a 27-yard field goal that put Mountain View up 24-14 near the end of the third quarter.

Down by that margin, Logan's DJ Nelson, who lined up behind center several times throughout the game, took a pitch from Stevens and tossed a 38-yard touchdown pass to Tanner Gittins, who ended with five receptions for 72 yards.

Trailing by three, the Grizzlies took the lead for good on their next possession when Stevens found Aaron Dickson for a 30-yard reception.

Mountain View had three more chances, the last coming with 21 seconds remaining but no timeouts. Emerson took a direct snap, and after faking a pass, ran 32 yards to Logan's 48-yard line. Still in the shotgun formation, Emerson threw an incomplete pass, and on the last play of the game, had a pass picked off at the 5-yard line.

Favero was pleased with how his offense, especially Stevens and Nelson, clicked.